West Vincent residents want sidewalk near school

WEST VINCENT — Township supervisors last week discussed the need for the construction of a sidewalk near the West Vincent Elementary School for the safety of students crossing the roads.

Supervisor David Brown said he favored the project as it is a “matter of public safety and safety of our children.”

Supervisors said that the sidewalk from the school property to Lexington Boulevard and south side of Conestoga Road will be extended at an estimated cost of $80,000.

Township solicitor Steve Siana said the continuation of the existing sidewalk will allow for people to have access to crossing the street with the traffic signal.

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“The problem right now, if you have one child crossing not at the signal because they can’t access the sidewalk, it’s a dangerous situation,” Siana said. “One of the major points of continuing the sidewalk is so it will encourage crossing at the signal, where there is controlled traffic and that’s the safety issue.”

Resident Sara Shick said “it’s long overdue” for the sidewalk to be available. Several residents and the supervisors said that the idea for the continuation of the sidewalk began years ago.

Resident Jim McQuillan said he and his neighbors attended the June 9 meeting to encourage the supervisors to work on the project that he called overdue. He said that the sidewalk would primarily be used by students. The school is at 2750 Conestoga Road.

When asked by a resident what the demand is for the sidewalk, McQuillan said it is to provide a means for people to safety crossing the road.

“The demand is for ... safe access, across (Route) 401 to the school, from the school to the library,” McQuillan said. “For kids to go back and forth, as well as anybody else who wants to get access to the property that we have across the street, as to the library.”

McQuillan said that there are after-school events during the academic year for which parents cross the street with their children. He said the demand for the sidewalk would “make it a walkable school” for the students.

“It’d be a unique resource, I think, for the township to have that. I think a part of the historical aspect of the township is that this was a walking community,” McQuillan said. “Some of our folks would walk to the school house. That was a part of their childhood and I’d like to bring that back.”

Several residents said that by being able to cross the street at the traffic light, the cost is worth saving the lives of the students who walk there.

Township Manager Jim Wendelgass said that the township will not incur the whole expense. He said he will review the available funds in the budget for the cost. He said that the landowner at that property could incur a portion of the cost.

The supervisors will consider the matter at a later date.

The township will need PennDot approval for the project which is in the right-of-way. Wendelgass said that could take up to three months for approval.